REPORT OF LIXIVIANT STUDIES ON FLOTATION-CONCENTRATE
Prepared for:
* PRECIOUS METALS REFINING CORPORATION
470 Main Road
Towaco, NJ 07082
Prepared by:
Lyntek, Incorporated
775 Mariposa Street
Denver, Colorado 80204
APRIL, 1996
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 Executive Summary
2.0 Summary
3.0 Process Flowsheet
3.1 Roasted Concentrate Processing with HG? Reagent Suite
3.2 Roasted Concentrate Processing with Cyanide
4.0 Capital Cost
4.1 Roasted Concentrate Processing with EP Reagent Suite
4.2 Roasted Concentrate Processing with Cyanide
5.0 Operating Cost
5.1 Roasted Concentrate Processing with HOP-Reagent Suite
5E2 Roasted Concentrate Processing with Cyanide
6.0 Environmental Considerations
Appendix A Flowsheet Drawings
Appendix B RDI Report of Testwork
1 EXECUTIVE SUMNIARY
Lynrek has been commissioned to do a series of metallurgical tests to determine the actual recovery information of a new lixiviant extracting gold from two different feed materials. Lyntek had arranged for a sample of Golden Wonder concentrate to be shipped t6Lyntek for testing. Preciouls Metals Refining Corporation (PMRC) arranged for the sample of RAC ore to be shipped from Nevada to Colorado for further testing. A representative of PMRC witnessed beneficial testing during the months of October and November 1995. The testwork was conducted at Mineral Research and Development, Inc. (MRDI) Golden, Colorado.
This report provides a written record of the observation of the bench scale tests performed on the Golden Wonder Concentrate7 a discussion of the test results, and compares capital and operating costs for hypothetical plant installations utilizing the HOP reagent suite and conventional cyanidation. A companion report discusses the results from testing the FMC head ore.
Lyntek has been involved with Precious Metal Refining Corporation and/or their historical fathers for the last five years investigating the new lixiviant for gold leaching Lyntek has found increased gold recoveries in a shorter period of time when comparing the new lixiviant Venus cyanide leaching. reagent costs were much lower with the HOP reagents versus the cost of conventional cyanidation. The costs with the cyanide system were an order of magnitude greater than those with the HGP system.
The testwork also investigated whether or not conventional gold capturing means can be used in order to recover the gold from solution. Both Merrill-Crowe and carbon were investigated and it was determined that both systems could be used in order to gather the gold from the leached ore.
The ores responded much faster under the new lixiviant system compared to conventional cyanidation. The Golden Wonder concentrate had to be roasted which would indicate that the new lixiviant does not have oxidizing powers that would make refractory ores non-refractory. This new lixiviant system will work extremely well on gold bearing ores which are microfine and liberated, or which are microfine and encapsulated in silicate. This system does not tend to work in ores that are heavily carbonaceous, refractory or pyrite encapsulated
One of the major drawbacks of this system is die non-recovery of any of the silver metals. No silver
credit can be given on a whole ore.
TABLE 5.3
PRECIOUS METALS REFINING CORP
2
FLOTATION CONCENTRATE - CYANIDE METHOD
OPERATING COSTS
TONNAGE FACTOR FT3/ton
GOLD PRICE $400.00
SILVER PRICE 35.00
CONCENTRATE AVAILABLE (GRADE)
TONS 3,750 …
GOLD(AU) 35.000
TFD 360 DAYS PER YEAR / 5 YEAR LIFE PR0CESSING PLAN
GOLD TOTAL
OUNCES 306,250
BASED UPON THE PRELIMINARY REPORT & TOTAL
CURRENT RESERVE POTENTIAL
TOTAL RESERVES
GOLD 306.260
SILVER 0
COST OF PROCESSING - CONCENTRATE CYANIDE METHOD
USEAGE COST
CHEMICALS …………….. $/TON …. Usage LBS/TON …… COST $/TON
CYANIDE ………………… $1.00 ………… 52.8 ……………. $52.80
CARBON …………………. $1.00 ………… 1 ……………….. $1.00
NEuTIIALIZATIOE ………. $2.00 …………. 1 ………………. $2.00
CAUSTIC ………………… $0.40 …………. 25 ………………. $10.00
CYANIDE ………………….$0.90 …………. LG ……………… $2.25
LIME ……………………….$0.06 ………….. 115 ……………. $6.90
MISC CHEM …………….. $2.00 …………… 1 ……………... $2.00
TOTAL CHEMICALS …………………………………………… $76.95
LAROR NO REO WHR HRSIYR. % FRINGE $/yr
PROJECT MANAGER 1 35 2080 30%$94,640
METALLURGICAL ENGR 1 an Rosa$77,376
PLANT LEAD OPERATOR 4 12 2050 24%$123,502
LEACH PERSONNEE 4 10 2060 24%$103,155
RECOVERY ANDREFINERY 2 ID 2080 24%$51.584
PLANT MECHANIC 1 12 2050 24%$30,950
CHEMIST 1 18 2060 24%$45,426
SAMPLEANALYST 1 9 2080 24%$23,213
SECRETARY 1 S 2060 24%$20,634
NO.OF PEOPLE 16 TOTAL LABOR $571,782
COSTOF OPERATION
S/TON
CHEMICALS $76.95
LASOR $163.37
MISC. COST $25.00
CONTINGENCY $53.08
TOTAL COST/TON $318.32
COST PER OUNCE $9.10
VS Cost per ounce $7.95 of table 5.2 for HGP
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